Chester December 25th 1815
My Dear -
Your obliging letter of the 1st Instant reached
me last evening - Accept my sincere thanks, for your condescension
and goodness. It gave me Joy, beyond my powers of description to
express, to receive a letter from you, especially a letter that gave
an assurance of esteem; and requested a revelation of my wish-
= es - I have perused and reperused your letter and now have
it before me. Every part is so expressive and engaging, that I
know not which to answer first. I will, however, begin with your
rebuke. You say you “can hardly forgive me for not writing
sooner”. I will now as I promised give My reasons - My conexion
with the army, kept me busily employed until the first of August,
At which time I returned to this Town; And visiting, + receiving visits
kept me constantly employed 3 weeks longer - At this time which
was almost the 1st of Sept. I found the season too far advanced,
for me to accomplish the tour I had contemplated. And hearing
of a chance to send I embraced the opportunity, and spent about
a fortnight in preparing my business for the westward and
in visiting my agent - My business at Washington was still
unsettled; And knowing that Capt. Aikens was going to that place
I determined to employ him to transact my business at the
War department. This took me nearly a fortnight longer -
(Aiken started his journey before last.) Besides all the
journies [sic] and perplexities, this business cost me I had an other
obstacle in the way - This was a dread, or fear of writing to you
since the receipt of your Letter, a thought has struck me that this
dread was nothing but the fear of writing, and not informing
you of any future prospects, + where i proposed taking up my res-
=idence [i.e.?] Be that as it may, I then determined, the next time
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I found myself at leisure, to take a retrospect of the year.
The first Idea that passed through my mind gave me a shock that
aroused me into action. The Idea was this. That 3 months had
then passed away since I had seen, or scarcely heard from you.
I immediately determined to write something - At that time I
was unsettled, and hardly knew what my next move would be -
Of my silence on this head, you seem to assure one; at least you
say you are disappointed - Yet I feel assured that your goodness
will forgive one, when I tell you, that since that time I have
been arranging these concerns -
My Father (God Bless him) is very anxious and has finally persuaded
me to settle in this place, and pursue my profession, To this I have
finally consented; (with no other, than a mental, reservation, _not_
to stay unless _you_ also consent to become an inhabitant of
Chester) And have determined to give up my spleen against the
Law, And my dislike to settling in my native village; and to
conform to the wishes + feelings of my friends -
Having explained this business, it remains to answer an other [sic]
part of your letter where you mention the time of our meeting
To this I feel it my duty to say, (however repugnant to my feelings)
must in some measure assure our business. Franklin some where [sic]
says, “time is money,” and my pecuniary concerns will not
warrant a great sacrifice of this - But the first vacancy in
my business shall be filled up with a ride to Canton -
And now perhaps it may not be improper; and I feel
it to be very correct, that I should shake off a certain false
Actuary[?], which often perplexes young people; (and of
which I feel that I have my share,) and come directly to
the point - And first - can your consent to become a partner of
my fortunes, and vicisitudes, [sic] and a resident with me in Chester?
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Chester? - There are points for you to determine; and a subject
in which I feel an uncommon Interest - But as you are a
stranger to this place, a short description of it, may not be
uninteresting - It is a town about 7 miles square, con-
taining about 2500, Inhabitants, and is beautifully varie-
=gated with hill and dale; or rather it is what some people
would call mountainous - It is like other Towns in Ver-
=mont principally settled with farmers; and the hills altho’ [sic]
numerous are generally covered with flocks + herds -
There are Two small villages, about one mile a part. [sic] and
in the Two villages there are five stores - The manner
of the Inhabitants though tolerable, are not so polished as
in some places. The society of young people is small and
rather uninteresting (at least to me.) Gossiping about as
much in fashion as is common in country villages -
But this is wandering from my subject and as I have
nearly finished my sheet, I will defer the
remainder until my next.
As now I subscribe myself, not formally,
But sincerely + truly your friend [JC.?]
Cephas L. Rockwood
P.S. I have opened an office and have a pleasant
prospect of business -
[--] As this is Christmas I has stuck up a green
Twig in my office to remember the date of this Letter
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[addressed to]
Chester Vt Paid 25 ½
26th Dec
Miss Louisa Foote
Canton
New York
